Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Soup!

So for a very very VERY long time I was convinced that I do not do soup. I have finally learned that it is not soup I don't like, it's the texture that soup often has. I don't like mushy veggies and I don't like things too watery- for instance, if spaghetti has a bunch of water at the bottom I'm pretty much grossed out. (And now I put noodles back in the pot for a minute after I drain them to get the extra water off.) I also don't like chunky tomato sauce, so whenever I make it I always blend it up. I've discovered that the same applies to soup- if I puree most soups I am perfectly happy and love them. My immersion blender was one of the best investments I ever made.

Tonight I didn't really have a plan for dinner. I rooted around in the fridge and found a head of cauliflower I pretty much abandoned along with a onion I cut a little piece off of a while ago, and some carrots that needed to be eaten or trashed within the next couple of days. I remembered that the latest library cookbook I'm reading for pleasure, The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, had some sort of cauliflower soup recipe so I went back and found that. It does not sound like my typical sort of soup, but I am being adventurous lately so I decided to give it a go.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I did not have exactly the ingredients that they call for in the book, so I modified it some and it turned out beautifully. Hmmmm... not photogenically beautifully- I'm not posting a picture because it's pretty unappetizing looking really- but taste and texture wise I am loving this soup. And have I mentioned that it is crazy healthy?

Curried Cauliflower Soup- Modified from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

Olive Oil1 onion- chopped4 cloves of garlic- smashed2 tablespoons of curry powder1 head of cauliflower- chopped (and obviously washed, and you should really know how to cut up a cauliflower)2 carrots, chopped2 cups of broth (I used chicken broth)watersaltsour cream

Heat the olive oil over med-low heat, add the onions and garlic, and the curry powder. Make sure nothing browns, you just want it all to soften and the curry to start smelling like an Indian restaurant.

Add the cauliflower and carrots and broth, and top with enough water to cover the veggies. Boil the hell out of it for about 15 minutes. I left the cover on for some of the time, and then left it off to let some of the water evaporate. The original recipe calls for potatoes and I didn't have them so I didn't have anything to absorb all of that liquid. I added some salt somewhere around this point.

Turn off the heat and let it cool for 10 or 15 minutes. Then BLEND IT UP! Top with sour cream and eat it. Mmmmmmm! Makes lots. I have at least 3 big containers for lunch or dinner for the rest of the week.

By the way, this cookbook is well worth checking out. It is full of really smart ideas and pairings and ways to start things on your own instead of strictly following recipes. One of the best ideas is about garlic. Instead of using the flat side of a knife, find a rock that fits well in the palm of your hand and use it instead (okay, clearly you're going to have to scrub it first). I used one to de-peel and smash my garlic, and then washed it with my dishes. It worked great since there was so much weight in my hand. Smart.